The Hornet and the Half Blood
by Celladora
Summary: So everyone knows that Severus loved Lily.  Sure, she's pretty, nice, smart, sociable—but come on, can you say boring?  What if he had met someone a little more interesting?  A little more his type?  What if Severus Snape had met Lisbeth Salander?


Description: So everyone knows that Severus loved Lily. Sure, she's pretty, nice, smart, sociable—but come on, can you say _boring_? What if Severus met someone a little more interesting? A little more like him? _What if Severus Snape met Lisbeth Salander_? **Set in Snape's sixth year at Hogwarts. The "mudblood" incident happened and Severus is still pining over Lily when he meets Lisbeth. Might not make sense if you haven't read all of the books/ seen all the movies.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter _or_ the Millennium Trilogy _or_ any of the characters mentioned.

**Reviews, constructive criticism and plot suggestions are all highly appreciated. Especially the latter—this is my first fanfic and quite honestly I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen next :) **

The Three Broomsticks was, on this particular Saturday, as it was on most Saturdays, full to bursting with its usual cast of interesting characters, ranging from hags to Hogwarts students. As the tall, lanky Slytherin wandered inside out of the snow, his dark eyes scanned the room for familiar faces-one particularly beautiful, emerald-eyed face in particular.

A pair of Ravenclaws sat at the table in the far corner, both brooding over the chess board that was spread out between them. Sitting at the table adjacent to theirs he recognized his fellow Slytherins Avery and McNab, discussing something or other over great tankards of butterbeer. Avery, noticing Severus, caught his eye and motioned for him to join them. Severus shook his head.

His eyes continued to roam around the room, stopping to glare at the gang of Gryffindors who were sitting up at the bar. Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin and, of course, James Potter: _The Marauders_. James was talking to the others in hushed tones, and he seemed very pleased about whatever it was he was telling them. Sirius snickered as James continued, and Severus strained to hear what he was saying.

"...no, Rosmerta didn't suspect a thing. Handed over the fire whiskey without batting an eyelash. The age gauging spell she used didn't pick up the enchantment…".

Prat_. Oh well, at least _she's_ not with him. I suppose she stayed up at the castle to study or something._

Severus was about to walk back out into the frosty street when he caught sight of a flash of red hair. His heart leapt as he turned to look. But as quickly as they had risen, his hopes were dashed: it wasn't her. He was looking instead at Lisbeth Salander, a Ravenclaw in his year at Hogwarts, who was sitting alone at a table in the corner; her nose in a book, an empty tankard sitting in front of her on the table.

She was, of course, a red head like Lily, but the similarities between the two ended there. Lisbeth's bright red hair was cut short and stuck out at odd angles, as if she'd just gotten out of bed; she had cold, dark, glaring eyes that looked out of place against her hair, and her thin face was sallow and devoid of the usual freckles. At 4' 10' and barely 90 pounds, she was practically drowning in her long black robes. All in all she was a very strange-looking girl, and although she was by no means beautiful in the traditional sense, there was something about her that made Severus want to know more.

He had never actually spoken to her before, and the only reason he knew her name was because she played seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Well, that and her rather tainted reputation. She had no friends to speak of, and as far as Severus was concerned there was no mystery as to why. Not only was she even more antisocial than Severus himself, but she was also notoriously ruthless: the last boy to cross her had been turned into a bowl of petunias while he was sleeping (of course, no one could prove anything, but there was no doubt in most peoples' minds as to who had done it).

It suddenly occurred to Severus that he had been staring at her, and he made to avert his gaze when all at once her dark eyes locked with his and he found himself unable to look away. Before he realized what he was doing, Severus found himself standing beside her table.

She was looking up at him expectantly over the spine of the thick volume she held.

He cleared his throat. "Can I, err, join you?" he inquired, feeling quite stupid.

_What the hell am I doing?_

Lisbeth peered up at him, her face betraying nothing. When she replied it was in a subtly mocking tone.

"I don't know, can you?" She inquired dryly, her eyebrows now raised; a small, almost imperceptible smirk playing on the edges of her mouth.

"I think I can probably handle it, yes," came his slightly sarcastic reply.

"I wouldn't be so sure" she muttered, and with that she returned to her reading. Severus stood in front of her table, feeling slightly foolish and more than a little confused_. _He was about to walk away when he heard her shut her book with an audible _snap_.

"Well, are you going to sit down or not?" She asked, her voice suddenly impatient.

Feeling even more confused than before, he slid into the chair across from her and had opened his mouth his mouth to speak when she cut him off.

"You were staring at me."

It wasn't a question.

"I…err…um...I…," he stammered, casting about for words. "_What of it?_"

"Oh, nothing," she replied coolly. She seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly, watching him squirm.

_This feels more like dueling than talking, _he thought_._

"Can I buy you a drink?" Severus asked awkwardly, after a few moments of silence.

"A shot or two of vodka would be nice," she replied, in the same dry tone that she had used when asking him to sit with her.

She laughed at the shocked look upon his face. "Don't tell me _you're_ using those stupid aging spells, too?" He asked.

She laughed again. She had an odd laugh, more like a snigger than anything else, but Severus found he rather liked it.

"No," she said. "I just wanted to see what your reaction would be. Though I certainly wouldn't be using an aging spell if I just wanted to get my hands on a little vodka. I know the barman from the Hog's Head; he'd give me anything I asked for. Anyway, if you were referring to James Potter and his cronies, you'll be happy to know that Rosmerta saw right through them. Their "fire whiskey" is actually a potent hair-growth potion; they should be sprouting white beards and abnormally long ear hair any second now. She's sly, Rosmerta," she added, smirking.

"How did you know—?"

Lisbeth smiled crookedly and continued. "I saw her pouring their drinks and I recognized the name on the bottle from this." She gestured to the book she had been reading. _Most Potente Potions_ was spelled out across the front in silver lettering.

Severus had to admit he was impressed. He didn't know of anyone else his age who read advanced potion manuals in their free time. Except, of course… but he didn't want to think about her right now.

"That's a good one," Severus replied. "_Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger is more comprehensive, though," he added.

Lisbeth scoffed. "More _comprehensive_, sure, but unfortunately old Jigger didn't have time to test out all of his recipes. I tried brewing a polyjuice potion this summer based on that book, and the effects lasted for a week instead of an hour. I reviewed the recipe and—"

Now it was his turn to cut her off. "Why were you brewing polyjuice potion, anyway?" He asked.

"Why should I tell you, _anyway_?" She replied, her voice suddenly icy.

She looked at him strangely, and then abruptly slipped _Most Potente Potions_ into her black shoulder bag and stood up.

"It's 5:00 'o clock. I have to back at the castle by 5:20 for a meeting with the Professor Slughorn."

"Hey, I never bought you that drink."

"Next time," she said, and she began making her way quickly through the chattering crowd.

"_Wait!" _called Severus, who had gotten up and was now hurrying after her. He caught up with her just as she emerged onto Hogsmeade's main street, which was covered in a thin layer of ice.

"Let me walk you back to the castle," Severus said quietly, feeling foolish for the third time since he had begun talking to her.

Lisbeth remained silent and replied by giving him another one of her crooked smiles. As they made their way up the street, the wind whipped at their hair and robes and Lisbeth drew her black dragon skin cloak more tightly around her slender shoulders.

They passed Zonko's, and Severus at last caught sight of Lily across the busy street. She was exiting Honeyduke's with a group of her fellow Gryffindors, her beautiful emerald eyes lit up with laughter at something her friend was telling her.

He watched her from afar, admiring the way the wind moved through her long red hair; almost deliberately, as it were.

_Why did he have to go and ruin everything? If only I had kept my mouth shut that day. If only—_

"Whatever happened between you two, anyway?" Lisbeth inquired, almost as if she had read his mind.

"Excuse me?" He asked, taken aback.

"You used to spend every waking moment with her, now you don't even talk to her." She said matter-of-factly.

"What… you… how…? "

_How could she know that?_

"I like to observe people. You're no exception."

"You mean you like to spy on people. What kind of—"

But again she cut him off. "You still haven't answered my question", she said evenly.

_Who does she think she is? _

"Uh… er…" he stuttered, struggling for words. "We were friends. Last year, we got into an argument and I called her a mudblood. Now she won't speak to me."

_Why am I telling her this?_

"Serves you right," she said abruptly.

"She… I...I didn't mean it", he stammered, now thoroughly irked. "I was angry; it just slipped out before I could stop myself. _I never meant to hurt her._"

Lisbeth remained unperturbed. "Obviously _she_ doesn't know that," she said after a moment, smirking slightly.

Severus was becoming angry now. Who was this girl to preach to him?

"_You think I haven't tried to apologize to her a million times? You think I don't beat myself about every minute of the day?_" He asked through clenched teeth, his hands balling up into fists even as he spoke.

Lisbeth shrugged. "Well, either you're as bad as I am at apologizing, or your friendship just doesn't mean very much to her."

_That does it._

Severus had had enough of this. With one final, exasperated look at Lisbeth, he stalked away in a huff, leaving her standing in the middle of the street looking highly amused.


End file.
